The State University of New York (SUNY) is pleased to announce the Excelsior Scholarship Program that is developed and managed by the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).The scholarship is open to SUNY and CUNY students at the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY).The purpose of the scholarship program is to provide open educational resources to help defray the prohibitive cost of textbooks.An Excelsior Scholarship recipient can receive up to $5,500 from the Excelsior Scholarship. The Scholarship will cover tuition for eligible SUNY and CUNY students.
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, with 64 college and university campuses located within 30 miles of every home, school, and business in the state.
Eligibility:
- Nearly 80 percent or more than 940,000 families with college-aged children across New York qualify for tuition-free college at SUNY and CUNY.
- SUNY and CUNY students are eligible to apply.
- Students who are currently attending college are eligible to receive an award, provided they are currently on track to complete their degree on time. Graduate students are not eligible.
- Students who take online classes are eligible
- Students must be enrolled in college full-time and average 30 credits per year (including Summer and January semesters)
- For the 2017-18 academic year, your federal household adjusted gross income can total up to $100,000 to be eligible.
- A student who transferred from colleges is eligible for an Excelsior Scholarship if they are on track to complete on time based on the number of credits accepted by their current college.
- To be considered an NYS resident for purposes of receiving this award, you must have resided in the State for 12 continuous months prior to the term for which the award is being sought.
- The requirements for students:
- The program will be phased in over three years, beginning in Fall 2017.
- It would first apply to families who earn $100,000 or less, then to those who earn $110,000 or less in 2018 and eventually reaching $125,000 or less in 2019.
- The income calculation is based on federal adjusted gross income, as reported on federal income tax forms, for the student and their family.
How to Apply:
To apply for the scholarship, the applicants can visit the given link:https://www.hesc.ny.gov/pay-for-college/financial-aid/types-of-financial-aid/nys-grants-scholarships-awards/the-excelsior-scholarship.html
Supporting Documents:
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): https://www.fafsa.gov/
Financial Aid and Award Money:
- The Budget additionally includes $8 million to provide open educational resources, including e-books, to students at SUNY and CUNY colleges to help defray the prohibitive cost of textbooks.
- An Excelsior Scholarship recipient can receive up to $5,500 from the Excelsior Scholarship, minus any amounts received for TAP, Pell or other scholarships. The remainder of your tuition charge will be covered by a tuition credit paid through SUNY or CUNY.
- The Excelsior Scholarship makes SUNY tuition-free for thousands of students.
- The program covers tuition for eligible SUNY and CUNY students.
- Resident undergraduate tuition at SUNY’s four-year colleges is currently $6,470.
- SUNY community college tuition is currently for $4,366, on average.
- The students are eligible to get an award for up to two years for students pursuing an associate’s degree and up to four years for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Application Deadline:
The program is anticipated that the Excelsior Scholarship application will be available in late May/early June.
Link for More Information:
https://www.suny.edu/smarttrack/types-of-financial-aid/scholarships/excelsior/
